Title: For the Record
Summary: Mindy may know Danny pretty well, but there's one thing she got wrong, and Danny wants to set the record straight.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Note: A tag for 1x16 that picks up right where the episode left off in the break room. I've wanted to try my hand at these two for a while, but I've been nervous cause I adore them so much and I don't want to mess them up. But last episode was perfect yet again on the Mindy/Danny front, and this scene wrote itself after I couldn't get one line out of my head. ;) Please let me know how it reads, thank you!
Icon thanks to lizzymaxia at tumblr.
"Sun Chips it is."
"No, Danny, I said Pringles!" Mindy argues as she raises her voice to be heard over the sound of change being fed into the vending machine, and then the whisper of the bag falling. "I changed my mind, I said Pringles." She sighs dramatically as she catches the bag of Sun Chips Danny throws at her, then relents and opens them. "Fine."
Danny bites back a grin as he enters his choice for a snack, grabbing the bag and returning to his spot on the couch. See, he knows her pretty well too. He may not admit it to himself, and certainly not to others, but he pays more attention to her than he realizes. It's hard not to when she's constantly there, buzzing around him with her loud personality and even louder taste in fashion. Sometimes he can't help but listen, even with the sarcastic comments he throws in along the way.
After all, he has a reputation to maintain.
"I'm sorry, about Jewish camp Army guy," he tells her as he watches the way she munches quietly on her chips, lost in reflection of the day and the letter she just read. She hasn't even reached for the remote yet to put on some crappy reality show or lame singing competition - that's saying something.
"Thanks," Mindy says quietly, still staring into the chips bag as if it holds the answers to her love life. It's Mindy - she looks for answers everywhere.
Danny shrugs, uncomfortable with the quiet, something so uncommon of her. "Maybe you two can re-connect again after he gets back."
Mindy finally looks at him, only to roll her eyes and scoff. "That's in eighteen months, Danny. He could fall in love with some beautiful redhead soldier who looks like Jessica Chastain during that time."
"Okay, I actually know who that is because of your office Oscar ballot-"
"You're welcome," Mindy adds in that proud tone she uses when she's introduced someone of limited taste to the treasures Hollywood has to offer. It was the same tone she used when she had the whole office marathon Friday Night Lights last year. She interviewed them after every two episodes and wrote down their feelings to judge that they were appropriately reacting to the story arcs.
"You don't know that. Hell, you could meet someone in that time too," Danny offers helpfully, gesturing at her to emphasize his scenario.
Instead of the usual flippant remark she would make about her oozing sex appeal and how she's sure to find true love right around the corner, Mindy merely shrugs. "Yeah, right."
"Hey," Danny says, his tone stern as he forces her to make eye contact with him. "One guy you happened to re-connect with leaves to serve his country, and you're saying you can't find anyone else in this city of eight million people to have a good time with?" He uses the same mocking tone she used on him earlier when he had that ridiculous idea to donate his sperm. For good measure to remind her of that conversation, he adds, "You're such a dummy."
Mindy cracks a smile at her words being used against her, and flashes back to the earlier memory of Sam saying how easily "turnable" her words are. She's more surprised when her thoughts turn to a Valentine's dinner with Danny. The pizza had been horrid - the crust was stale and the cheese undercooked - but it had been a good night.
Especially after the whole Jamie breaking up with her after the epiphany of being in love with his best friend sunk in.
After that though, the night hadn't been so bad.
"Well, thanks," she says, focusing on the ray of kindness in his eyes. He hides it so well that she never used to notice; until she started looking more closely. "At least he can return to war knowing he's truly lived now that he's seen You've Got Mail."
Danny smirks at that, nodding in relief at the familiar Mindy returning, her bright eyes and romantic comedy idealizing-self. "You've sent him back a better man. With that and the sex, you're really supporting our troops, aren't you? Do we need to find you a sailor next?"
"Danny!" She laughs, blushing a little at his wolfish grin and waggling eyebrows.
He looks down as his pager beeps, still grinning as she throws a pillow at him for his comment. "You'll be fine. I gotta go, Mrs. Rebar is finally dilated." He tosses her the rest of his chips as he stands and stretches.
Mindy tries not to eye the play of muscles under his scrub shirt, the way his biceps clench as he runs a hand over his face. She's just looking at his weird form. It's weird, that's why. She's a doctor, it's a clinical observation.
"Good luck."
"Don't need it," Danny says as he heads for the door.
Mindy rolls her eyes at his usual reply. The guy is way too competitive for his own good. Forget being polite and saying thanks, or ever complimenting her for her expertise in the field. It's all about him. That's Danny for ya.
"And, hey." Danny knocks on the wall to get her attention before he steps out of the lounge. "For the record, I am not a selfish lover."
Mindy blinks in surprise, eyes widening slightly behind her glasses as her mind goes blank and her hands go clammy. She stops her gaze from slipping from his eyes to his lips, and oh my god, keep it together, Mindy, this is Danny we're talking about here, Danny and his weird body and overactive sweat glands.
She clears her throat before replying and decides to play it cool. "Um, I don't know what you're- that's a little TMI-"
"Maybe." Danny shrugs but doesn't look the least bit sorry. "But at dinner you told them I was a selfish lover. Trust me, that's not the case." He gives her a wink and a dashing grin before he leaves the room. "Just setting the record straight. FYI."
She's left with her half-eaten bag of Sun Chips, a bag of Pringles, and a letter from a soldier who may or may not be the Tom Hanks to her Meg Ryan. She's also left a little proud of Daniel Castellano for his use of an acronym in an everyday conversation, and a little breathless by the way he'd looked at her.
the end ~